Korky Neufeld

About

Korky Neufeld is an enthusiastic and hardworking individual with a diverse professional background in the political, religious, and industrial sectors.  He was born into a family of 10 children. His parents emigrated from South America in 1964 with a dream of a better life for the future generations. Korky places significant value on family, his own including his wife of 40 years – Cynthia, four children and two grandchildren. Professional Journey Korky’s professional life has been marked by service. He began his career in church ministry – first, as a pastor in Vancouver, then leading a church that served the people of Abbotsford for over a decade. Intermittently, Korky worked many years in the construction industry, grasping the challenges of blue-collar workers and families. His current role as Construction Manager for Servicemaster Restore of the Fraser Valley brings him into city halls across the entire region, enabling him to work with municipal systems to help people who have undergone life-altering events. Affecting Change in the Political Sphere Korky spent 15 years as the Abbotsford Board of Education Trustee. In that time, he also served several years as the Chair and Vice-Chair, working closely with the Superintendent (the lead educator) and the Secretary Treasurer (the operational leader). These positions have allowed Korky to learn what it takes to affect important educational change on a systemic level. One of Korky’s roles over the years on the Abbotsford School Board has been to represent Abbotsford at the British Columbia School Trustee Association. This provincial association is made up of sixty boards from all over the province, with over 350 elected trustees as its members. Korky was elected for two terms by his peers to represent them as one of seven directors on this provincial board. This leadership experience widened his knowledge, facilitating the opportunity to see beyond his district’s level into the needs of diverse regions across the province. It also allowed him to further build into his skill-set for best representing unique and complex issues. Community Engagement (Prioritizing Serving People in the Community)  Korky has served on multiple provincial and advisory committees, including: Abbotsford Restorative Justice and Advocacy Association (5+ yrs) – advocating for restorative processes for first-time offenders Bridgehouse Committee at City Hall (2 yrs) – reviewing the efficacy of recovery programs and setting guidelines for future recovery programs within the city of Abbotsford Abbotsford Christian Leaders Network (10 yrs) – serving the community through initiatives like large faith-based events that unified the city, Love Abbotsford which mobilized the community with intentional acts of kindness; and empowered people to bring to fruition ministry ideas & passions like the Cyrus Centre and Psalm 23 Transition Society. Conservative Policy Priorities Korky is setting out to make positive change in the current provincial political climate Policy Priorities: Education Remove Ideology from the classroom – Schools must be places of learning – not tools for activism or indoctrination. Support parent choices – Parents have the right to determine how and where their children will be educated. Healthcare Serious Substantive Reform – Chronic shortages in physicians, nurses and ICU capacity has become painstakingly clear. It’s time for serious reform More doctors, more nurses – prioritizing government funding and support for post-secondary programs and students Economy Lower taxes, smaller government – Wasteful spending should be cut and the savings returned to taxpayers Champion small and medium-sized business – Useless and redundant regulations need to be removed Korky is passionate, energetic and committed. He represent the Abbotsford West Riding whole-heartedly as the MLA. His interest in people, awareness of the connection between community and provincial issues, and his strong family values will benefit this region.